could hear footsteps on the stairs and turned in his seat. “Hi Cici, did ye find a room ye liked?”
“Yep. I liked the blue room, blue’s my favorite color. There’s a big bed me and Mama can share. All my favorite toys are here. Does that mean we’re going to live with you now, Abe?”
He pulled out a chair for her and did the same for Roxanne’s mother. “Ye all will for a little while. Is that okay?”
“Can we, Mama? I like the view from the windows upstairs. You can see the whole world. Plus, there’s no loud noises like people yelling when they come out of the club.”
“We’ll stay for a little bit.” Roxanne put a bowl down for Cici and handed Abe his. Cici immediately reached for a piece of bread and dipped it in the chili. He smiled at her excitement.
He inhaled deeply. “This looks and smells delicious.”
“Roxanne cooked it. I just helped her get the ingredients together,” Sandy told him.
“It’s Mom’s recipe. I remember, growing up, we would have chili night once a week. It was my favorite night of the week. My dad loved chili.” Roxanne sat down next to him.
“Yes he sure did.” Sandy agreed with a fond smile on her face.
It was the oddest feeling for Abe, as though they were a real family sitting down for a meal. That was something he had never really experienced. His grandmother did the best she could, and the foster family on Bazin put on a show when others were around, but they always let him know in their little gestures that he was an outsider, not a full Bazinoid. He was part human and, therefore, not equal to them.
“Abe, is something wrong?” Roxanne touched his arm.
“I’m just appreciating this. I’m a lone bachelor who fixes quick meals for one. To be honest, this might be the first time I’ve ever eaten at this table.”
“Well, that’s about to change. I insist that family have a sit-down dinner every night at least five times a week. It brings everyone together to talk about his or her day. It bonds you. You don’t have any family around here?” Sandy asked, taking a spoon and dipping it in the chili.
Abe shifted in his seat. “My grandmother was from New Earth’s Scotland. When she passed away I moved here to Fin-Dieskau.”
“What about your mother and father?” Roxanne asked.
“My mother was a rebellious teenager who got into a lot of trouble early on, she met my father who was from Bazin and got pregnant. My father skipped out on her halfway through the pregnancy and by the time she had me, my mother decided she didn’t want to be tied down to a baby so she dumped me on my grandmother.”
“I’m so sorry Abe.” Roxanne looked at him with a tear in her eye. He couldn’t take it if she cried.
“I’m fine. I had my grandmother for the first ten years of my life then she found a decent couple on Bazin to foster me and teach me about my Bazin roots.”
He felt a tug on his shirtsleeve and looked down to find that Cici had gotten out of her chair to come and stand next to him. He leaned down. “Is there something ye need little one?”
She rose on tip toes to hug his neck. He patted her back and then let her go. “What was that for?”
“You had a bad mommy and I had a bad daddy. Mama says as long as there are people who care about you, you can have a happy life. I just wanted you to know that we care about you.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you Cici. I care about you, your mom and your grandmother too.” He watched as she went back to her seat. He glanced over at Roxanne who was beaming with pride.
“Let’s eat before the chili gets cold.” Sandy directed their attention back to the meal.
Abe lifted his spoon of chili up to his mouth and blew on it a little before tasting it. It was delicious, spicy without being overwhelmingly hot. “This is so good.”
“Thank you.” Roxanne smiled at him and he forgot everything. When she smiled she lit up the whole room. He knew that he would never get tired of looking at her
“Yep. I liked the blue room, blue’s my favorite color. There’s a big bed me and Mama can share. All my favorite toys are here. Does that mean we’re going to live with you now, Abe?”
He pulled out a chair for her and did the same for Roxanne’s mother. “Ye all will for a little while. Is that okay?”
“Can we, Mama? I like the view from the windows upstairs. You can see the whole world. Plus, there’s no loud noises like people yelling when they come out of the club.”
“We’ll stay for a little bit.” Roxanne put a bowl down for Cici and handed Abe his. Cici immediately reached for a piece of bread and dipped it in the chili. He smiled at her excitement.
He inhaled deeply. “This looks and smells delicious.”
“Roxanne cooked it. I just helped her get the ingredients together,” Sandy told him.
“It’s Mom’s recipe. I remember, growing up, we would have chili night once a week. It was my favorite night of the week. My dad loved chili.” Roxanne sat down next to him.
“Yes he sure did.” Sandy agreed with a fond smile on her face.
It was the oddest feeling for Abe, as though they were a real family sitting down for a meal. That was something he had never really experienced. His grandmother did the best she could, and the foster family on Bazin put on a show when others were around, but they always let him know in their little gestures that he was an outsider, not a full Bazinoid. He was part human and, therefore, not equal to them.
“Abe, is something wrong?” Roxanne touched his arm.
“I’m just appreciating this. I’m a lone bachelor who fixes quick meals for one. To be honest, this might be the first time I’ve ever eaten at this table.”
“Well, that’s about to change. I insist that family have a sit-down dinner every night at least five times a week. It brings everyone together to talk about his or her day. It bonds you. You don’t have any family around here?” Sandy asked, taking a spoon and dipping it in the chili.
Abe shifted in his seat. “My grandmother was from New Earth’s Scotland. When she passed away I moved here to Fin-Dieskau.”
“What about your mother and father?” Roxanne asked.
“My mother was a rebellious teenager who got into a lot of trouble early on, she met my father who was from Bazin and got pregnant. My father skipped out on her halfway through the pregnancy and by the time she had me, my mother decided she didn’t want to be tied down to a baby so she dumped me on my grandmother.”
“I’m so sorry Abe.” Roxanne looked at him with a tear in her eye. He couldn’t take it if she cried.
“I’m fine. I had my grandmother for the first ten years of my life then she found a decent couple on Bazin to foster me and teach me about my Bazin roots.”
He felt a tug on his shirtsleeve and looked down to find that Cici had gotten out of her chair to come and stand next to him. He leaned down. “Is there something ye need little one?”
She rose on tip toes to hug his neck. He patted her back and then let her go. “What was that for?”
“You had a bad mommy and I had a bad daddy. Mama says as long as there are people who care about you, you can have a happy life. I just wanted you to know that we care about you.”
He cleared his throat. “Thank you Cici. I care about you, your mom and your grandmother too.” He watched as she went back to her seat. He glanced over at Roxanne who was beaming with pride.
“Let’s eat before the chili gets cold.” Sandy directed their attention back to the meal.
Abe lifted his spoon of chili up to his mouth and blew on it a little before tasting it. It was delicious, spicy without being overwhelmingly hot. “This is so good.”
“Thank you.” Roxanne smiled at him and he forgot everything. When she smiled she lit up the whole room. He knew that he would never get tired of looking at her
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